The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)

 ☆ ☆ ☆ ½

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963) – D. Sharp

Although the plot is standard fare (stranded travellers find themselves invited to vampire castle), there is something different about this Hammer Horror outing, something that makes it feel more unseemly than usual, perhaps more genuinely horrific. I don’t think we can chalk that up to the absence of Christopher Lee or Peter Cushing, although perhaps their charismatic presences make evil and the fighting of it something less than mundane. In this film, with no real recognisable actors (not even Hammer regulars), perhaps there’s a sense that the unspeakable could happen to anyone. The innkeeper’s wife has some deeply sad moments, grieving privately for her daughter, now a vampire as part of the cult lead by Dr Ravna (Noel Willman), grief that is perceived quizzically by our protagonists, Gerald and Marianne (Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel), who seem very sheltered if not occasionally buffoonish.  Although warned to be careful by Professor Zimmer (a rather spooky figure himself, played by Clifford Evans), they still attend the fancy dress party held by Ravna where his followers drug Gerald’s drink and then escort Marianne to receive the titular kiss from Ravna. When Gerald awakes, everyone (including the innkeeper) claims never to have seen Marianne.  Fortunately, Zimmer is ready, armed with some supernatural incantations that cause a horde of bats to descend on the vampire clan and destroy them. Even the rubber bats can’t really destroy the unsettling spell cast by this film.